A rare case where both the remake and the original are good.
Summary:
- The Spice and Wolf remake appeals to new fans as much as to the fans of the original.
- This is because the story is universally good.
- Both the remake and the original are loved by fans.
Sometimes, modern anime fans say that an anime is too old and no longer relevant. While at times, this just refers to animation, a lot of fans feel old anime is just not relevant anymore. That, though, isn’t really fair, as many themes are universal and persist through the time.
One of the anime airing right now that is forever relevant is the Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) remake. The remake being just as popular as the original is proof of that.
The Original Was Very Popular During Its Time
While the original Spice and Wolf anime is iconic and has a huge fanbase, it was gradually losing fans over the years. A lack of a much-needed third season, as well as the original airing 16 years ago at this point, really didn’t do the series any favors.
Yes, it’s still really good and holds up to this day — people can’t even agree if the original or the remake is better. Still, many fans of the 2008 anime simply stopped caring about the anime medium altogether after all these years.
The Remake Is Popular With New Fans
The remake is just as popular, though, and that hype doesn’t just come from source readers and fans of the original. In fact, they are arguably the minority among the watchers of the remake, which is very popular with new people — proving that the story of Spice and Wolf is still unmatched years later.
The dynamic between Lawrence and Holo is an incredibly realistically-developing romance (as far as realism in a fantasy series goes). Their witty dialogue appeals to many viewers, both old and new, and the notion of it “not aging well” is incorrect.
Both Original Anime and Remake Are Good
Remakes are always controversial, and that goes for more than just anime remakes. When the original was good enough, the remake will often try to do something different, and be worse for that reason.
Furthermore, series that actually need remakes, like Tokyo Ghoul and Soul Eater, don’t seem to get them.
Spice and Wolf seems to have struck a balance that satisfies both old and new fans. The story appeals to all generations, and the execution is good — this is a rare case where fans consider both adaptations good (although they have minor flaws).
It seems that Spice and Wolf will be considered a classic for a long time.